In the modern, environmentally-conscious, world there is a drive to identify applications or processes that waste energy and, if possible, reclaim some of that waste energy. Thus, there is a strong interest in systems that can recover energy from waste heat by using that heat efficiently to generate electricity.
Examples of applications of where “Waste Heat Recovery” could be of interest include:
1. Vehicular engines, including: any engine that burns fuel and gives off waste heat such as: large truck engines, car engines, marine boat engines including ocean going cargo and passenger ships.
2. Stationary industrial engines, including: pipeline compressor and pumping engines. Industrial power plants also use large engines.
3. Large building boiler rooms, including: hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, laundries, hospitals, convention centres, and large retail outlets like Wal*Mart®, Sears®, Home Depot®, and others.
4. Solar applications. For example in some climates, for example in the Southern states of the USA, there is a great abundance of heat available from sunlight. A solar hot box containing heat exchangers can provide energy to run a turbine generator, and power can be generated and used on-site. Public utilities need such distributed generation systems as the demand on the current grid is growing faster than utility companies can create new sources of power. A roof top power system that is owned and controlled by a state or regional utility may be able to meet new demand without the requirement for new coal or gas fired generating plants. All of this new power is green-energy and may qualify for a world wide market in carbon credits.5. Off Grid Solar Applications. Often there is a requirement for electric power in remote locations that are not being serviced by the electric power grid. A turbine generator according to the present invention could be sized to meet the local requirements.
Another application could be the generation of electricity for pumping of water for agricultural use. The cost of fossil fuels such as diesel is high and therefore the use of solar heat, for example gathered by a hot box facing the sun, may be advantageous in irrigation applications.
One way to use heat, for example waste heat, to generate power is to use that heat to drive a turbine. It is an aim of this invention to provide a turbine generator, and components for use in a turbine generator, that may have an advantageous application in the recovery of waste heat.